July 13, 2007

• Photo Gallery: LJ at Last Man Standing

Knicks great Larry Johnson, who spent five seasons in New York and reached the 1999 NBA Finals with the team, recently paid a visit to Madison Square Garden's Last Man Standing One on One Basketball Tournament.

NYKnicks.com caught up with Johnson at the event for this exclusive interview:

Question: So what have you been up to since you left the Knicks ?

Johnson: I've been raising my four sons, and I've got a bottled water company, Everlasting Spring Water out of Tennessee. I got totally away from ball when I retired. It was the best thing for me. My back felt for me, and instead of craving for it all the time and trying to get back out there -- because as soon as whatever injury you've got you want to go back and play, and I experienced all that -- I just stayed totally away from the game as much as possible until all that went away. I know I'm not playing any ball now, so now I'm here and with it and going to do what I want to do.

Question: Even though you retired, you really stayed away altogether. We haven’t seen you anyway.

Johnson: I haven't been to a game. That’s the way I do things. Like I said, I've got four sons, and they all think they're going to the NBA. I say, "What are you gonna do?" and they all say "I'll be in the NBA." Yeah, right. I'm on my own journey, so I just got away from the game as far as the NBA goes, but I'm with my youngsters, and they play ball. Ask my youngsters, they see me there everyday.

Question: MSG recently named their top 50 moments, and your four-point play against Indiana in the 1999 East Finals was part of it.

Johnson: Yeah, I saw that. I couldn’t be higher than 14? That’s horrible! Horrible! (laughs). We've got to discuss this. I should be top 10. No forget that, I should be one, two or three.

But, no, it was great and I was grateful. I was supposed to do an interview for it not too long ago, but I got stuck in Arizona. I was driving, and the guy was waiting for me. He probably thought I stood him up, but I was just stuck.

Question: When you retired there was no fanfare or big show. Why was that?

Johnson: I don't need a farewell for me. I'm no Michael Jordan. I just do what I’ve got to do. It happened in the summertime, and the Knicks did what they had to do. I would really like to thank (MSG Sports President and COO) Steve Mills. Steve took care of me, and I did what I had to do, and I just went on with my life. I’m trying to get my life together. There's no farewells for me. That’s for Patrick (Ewing).

Question: You are still popular with the fans. People do the "LJ" all the time.

Johnson: For real? That means a lot to me. It's been unbelievable since I've been back. People keep coming up to me. I had a meeting at the Garden, and I was walking around the Garden before it. Old feelings came back. Fans kept coming up to me, and it was really great.

The thing about New York -- the fans aren't just fans. They know what they're talking about. When we were in games, the fans were hollering stuff that Jeff (Van Gundy) was saying, too. They'd say to cut the baseline off, and I'd be like 'Man, that's right! Cut the baseline off.' They'd be saying that in the stands, so I love New York fans. They know what they're talking about.

Question: When was the last time you were in the Garden before today?

Johnson: About a month ago. I went to the Cotto-Judah fight. But that was the only other time I’d been back since I left the game.

Question: So, what was it like being back?

Johnson: It was something else. It was unbelievable. It really was. It brought back old memories. Just walking around the Garden today. There was nobody in it, but you smell it. That's the thing about basketball, you smell basketball. I can stand out here and watch these guys play all day.

Question: Are you thinking about getting involved in the game again?

Johnson: I've got some things in the pipeline. We've been talking about getting me back to some games and do some things. But I've got to go back to school now. I’ve only got two hours to go on a communications degree at UNLV. I’ve been doing that for a year. I'm not just sitting on my (butt]) now. I’m getting my act together so maybe one day I’ll have a mic in my hand. But I had to get my degree to coach junior high school in Dallas. I've got to teach two classes. It's the same high school I went to.

Question: What do you think of what the Knicks have done so far this summer?

Johnson: I love the Zach Randolph move. I love it. To go along with the other big fella (Eddy Curry) and Stephon Marbury, they're coming together. I had those cats going to the playoffs last year. I like them this year.

Question: Do you find you still root for the Knicks?

Johnson: They’re the last team I played for, so yeah! That kind of forces me to! Of course I cheer for my team.

Question: Who in the NBA today reminds you of yourself?

Johnson:Why does everyone ask me that question? (laughs) I don’t know, what if I said LeBron James, how bout that? Yeah, right!(laughs)

Actually I love Amare Staudamire. I love him, man. The way he plays, he attacks the rim. That’s how I used to play before my back injury. I’d pride myself on fighting that ball to the rim like he fights to it.

Question: Do you miss being grandmamma in those TV commercials?

Johnson: Yeah for sure, I used to enjoy it. Grandmamma, that really made me. I miss it.

Question: Finally, you had some big time rivalries when you were here with the Pacers and the Heat. Which one of them was more intense and got you more pumped up?

Johnson: That’s tough. I'd have to say Miami.

Question: So when Allan Houston made that running shot in 1999…

Johnson: Right! We got up for them all as you could tell, but for me that Miami series was just, I mean, I had my four-point play against Indiana, so it's tough, but the Miami series, I loved those.